Conveyer



Jan. 2

1,656,976 W. F HALL CONVEYER Filed May 1926 ENTOR. T WE yy T/VEJS f f HALL BY 8mm Z MNEYS.

Jan. 24, 1928. 1,656,976

W. F. HALL CONVEYER Filed May 17, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet III/III! INVENTOR. Was/.57 f? HALL [WT/V6155 7 Z BY a Q MwRNm s.

Jan 24, 1928.

W. F. HALL Filed May 17, 1926 CONVEYER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 24, 1928.

-UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WESLEY F. HALL, OF MATAWAN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE HANSON & VAN WINKLE COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CONVEYER.

Application filed May 17, 1926. Serial No. 109,719.

This invention relates to conveying machines in which a transfer-mechanism isemployed to lift articles from one part of the conveying mechanism and deposit them on a another part thereof and is" more particu larly applicable to transferring fronr one tank to another articles being electroplated.

In the electroplating art it is common practice to arrange the various dipping and lo electrodepositing tanks in line while on each side of the tanks or centrally over the tanks horizontal conveying means such as sprocket chains or the like are provided to move the articles longitudinally through the tanks. l After reaching the end of each tank the articles must be lifted out and then lowered into the next tank. This is generally doneby mechanism working in conjunction with the horizontal conveying mechanism. It is common practice to have such conveying and transfer mechanism arranged in an elevated V position over the tanks supported on a struc ture rising from the floor or suspended from the ceiling. v It is an object of the present invention 'to provide a transfer apparatus that will be self contained, that will not require overhead supports, that will be rugged in construction and accurate in performance and that will reduce to a minimum the longitudinal space required for the transfer. l The invention will behest understood by a description with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is aside view in partial section of the conveyer;

Figure 2 is a side of the conveyor with its parts in another position;

Figure 2 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of the ends of the transfer arms.

Figure 3 is a transverse section through the center of the transferring element of the conveyer on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 are details of construction, Figure 7 beingtaken on the line 1 7--7 of Figure 6.

My invention will be described with reference to electroplating apparatus in which separate conveyers are employed in successive tanks, as it has especial advantages in such a construction+but its use is not limited to sucharrangement.

Referring first to Figui e 1, there are shown at 1 and 2 the adjacent ends of two electroplating tanks. 3 are supporting .angles upon which reststhe main frame 4 of the conveyor which is mounted longitndinally over the middle of the tanks. Along the central line of the tanks are'horizontal conveyer sprocket chains 5 driven by sprocket wheels 6, one of which is located at the delivery end of each tank, the tail end of the chain being guided around a curved end part 7 mounted on guide 8 which being carried by the main frame serve as .a support and guide for the upper reaches of the sprocket chain, the lower reaches of the chains being supported by corresponding rails 9 also mounted on the frame. Certain of the links of the sprocket chains have propelling lugs as shown at 10 which are adapted to engage with cross-bars 11 forming cathode supports from which on each side of the central frame hangers 12 depend.

The hangers 12 are adaptedto support by hooks or otherwise any articles intended to be passed through the'tanks. The cathode cross-rods 11 rest at their ends on cathode rails 12 connected to a source of electric supply. The-sprocket wheel 6 is mounted on a shaft 13 (see Figs. 6 and 7) through the.

medium of a key sleeve 14. Upon the same shaft is mounted and keyed thereto a drivg gear 15 which meshes, with a driving pinion 16 propelled by'a shaft 17 from any suitable source of power. 'At the junction between the tanks the conveyer frame consists of two rigid frames 18 and 19 and 'the ends of the shaft 13 are journalled in these two frames with the sprocket wheel 6 midway between them. Upon the shaft 13 is also mounted a crank arm 20 and keyed to the same sleeve asthe sprocket wheel 6 so as to be driven directly thereby. At the end of this crank arm is a roller21 adapted to engage with a slotted cross-head'22, separate views of which are shownin Figures 4 and 5. This cross head has an arm 23 at its upper end upon which is mounted an antifriction roller 24; that is adapted to travel in a vertical slot 25 in frame 19 and be guided thereby. The lower end of the cross-head has two arms 26 adapted to straddle a ball bearing 27 on the shaft 13 and be guided thereby. By this means the cross-head is allowed vertical play only.

As'shown in Figure 4 the cross-head has an upperflange28 longer than a lower flange 29; t ese flanges being spaced apart to form a slot in which the roller 21 ofthe crank may position shown in Figure 1.

fit. The lower flange 29 is purposely made shorter than the upper flange to an extent that will allow the roller 21 on the crank to pass out of the slot when the cross-head reaches its lower position which will be when the crank arm is in line with the slot, that is to say horizontal. Lifting arms 30 and lowering arms 31 are provided in pairs as shown and are pivoted respectively at 32 and 33 on the frames 18 and 19. At a point near a pivot of these arms connecting rods 3% and 35 are pivotally connected, the other ends of these connecting rods being pivoted at 36 to a check piece 37 on the slotted cross-head.

' The outer ends of the arms 30 and 31 have the slot of the cross-head as shown in Figure 1 when the crank reaches the horizontal pos1- tion. A. further rotation of the crank now lifts the cross-head and through the con necting rods 34 and 35 also lifts the arms 30 and 31 until the crank reaches the vertical position shown in Figure 2 at which time the fingers on the ends of the arms will have approached very close to each other as shown in Figure 2. A further movement of the crank arm will lower the cross-head and when the crank has again reached the horizontal position the arms will have been returned to the A further movement of the crank arm now will cause the roller 21 to pass out from the slot of the cross-head with which it will not again engage until the crank has passed through 180 of rotation. In its passage across the middle of the slot of the cross-head the roller 21 has to pass over the slotbetwen arms 26 and to hold it rigidly in relation to the cross-head during which passage a bridge 40 pivoted at 41 on the cross-head is provided. This bridge 41 is in the nature of a latch which will allow the roller on the crank to pass over the slot between the arms 26 and yet when the cross-head descends further the latch will move to one side to allow the passage of ball bearing 27, the latch in this case taking the position shown in Figure 1.

In order to keep the cathode supporting bar 11 properly centralized I attach to it some V-shaped lugs as shown at 42 (see Figure 3) which are adapted to closely fit in be tween the fingers 39 on the arms 31.

The outer perimeter of the'frames 18 and 19 are arched around the central pivots and have fastened to their exterior edges blocks of wood 43 which are adapted to form a guide or track over which the vertical members 12 of the cathode supports slide when the said supports are being transferred from one tank to another.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The cathode carrier 11 resting on cathode bars 12' are pushed along by the lugs 10 on the horizontal conveyer chains 5 until they are made to over-ride the lingers 38 of the lifting arms 30. When they have been thus pushed on to the fingers 33 the machine is so timed that the crank arm 20 will cause the roller 21 to impinge at this moment on the upper flange 28 of cross-head with the result that any further motion lifts the cresthead and the arms 30 so that the cathode carrier is rapidly elevated to the position shown in Figure 2, when it is immediately over the center-line between the two tanks 1. and 2. In so lifting the carrier the vertical members 12 are held steady and free from vibration by hearing against side pieces 4-3 preferably of wood fastened to the outer perimeter of the frames 13 and 19.

When the lifting arm 30 has arrived at its uppermost position the lowering arm 313wiil also have reached its uppermost position and.

the cathode bar 11 which has been resting in the right-angled notch between lifting arm 30 and its finger 38 will now he lifted vcrtically because the arm 31 is made purposely slightly longer than the arm 30 for this reason. The cathode bar 11 now resting on the arm 31 will descend with said arm when the crank 20 in its further motion lowers the cross-head. The motion of the arm 30 is arrested just after the cathode support it hasbeen dropped on to the cathode rail 12 of the next tank. The crank proceeding in its regular rotationpasscs now through 134) without functioning on the slotted cross-head 22 giving the desired amount of dwell bctween transferring operations.

It will be seen that the mechanism is so disposed that perfectly free access is bad to each side of the tank and that although the mechanism is supported from the floor it is principally located at a point between the tanks where it will least incominmle operations. lilorcover, it is of a construction that can be made sufficiently rigid in its staliolr ary parts to insure accuracy of co-funclioning between the various members, a point of reat importance where automacy is to be depended upon. It will further be seen that the arms 30 and 31 are moving very slowly as they approach the point where they are'to make the transfer, the crank at this time moving past its dead center. By locating the pivotal points 32 and 33 beyond the central line of the tanks, the tanks or the conveyors may be placed close together and yet enable the arms 30 and 31 to give the necessary lift to the carriers to clear the tanks. From this it will be seen that the height of the lift can be quite independent essors of the length of the arms or of the proximity of the tanks or conveyers.

While I have described the conveyer as especially adapted to electroplating apparatus, it is not my intention to have my claims limited to such use as it is evident that other dipping processes may be carried out by the invention and these may be cases where such a transferring mechanism may be used between conveyers without involving tanks.

ll claim 1. In conveying mechanism, the combination comprisinglifting and lowering arms journalled on substantially parallel horizontal axes, the axis of the lifting arms being spaced from that of the lowering arms so that their outer ends will describe arcs intersecting above the axes of the arms, the said arms having attheir outer ends means for holding objects, and means for moving said arms simultaneously upward until their object-holding means come together, said arms being adapted to cause ob ects to pass from the lifting arms'to the lowering arms,

2. In a conveying mechanism, the combination comprising lifting and lowering arms journalled on substantially parallel horizontal axes, the axis of the lifting arms being spaced from that of the lowering arms so that their outer ends will describe arcs intersectin above the axes of the arms, the said arms aving at their outer ends means for holding objects, and means for moving said arms simultaneously upward until their object-holding means come together, said arms being adapted to cause objects to pass 1 from the lifting arms to the lowering arms,

ends means for holding objects,

and, stationary guides adjacent the arms forsteadying articles being transferred.

3. In a conveying mechanism, the combmation comprising longitudinal. conveyer means, means for transferring objects from one part of the conveyer to another consisting of lifting and lowering arms journalled on substantially horizontal axes transversely to the conveyer,/the axis of the lifting arms being spaced from that of the lowering arms in the direction of travel of the conveyer, the said arms having at their outer andmeans for moving said arms simultaneously upward until their object-holding meanscome together above the conveyer, said arms being adapted to cause objects to pass from the lifting arms to the lowering arms.

4. In a conveying mechanism, the combination comprising a longitudinal conveyer, means for transferring objects from one part of the conveyer to another consisting of lifting and lowerin arms journalled on substantially horizonta axes transversely to the conveyer, the axes of the arms being spaced apart from each other and at an ele vation above that of the longitudinal conveyer, the said arms having at their outer ends H means for holdingobjects, and means for moving said arms slmultaneously upward until their ob ect-holdmg means come together above the conveyer, said arms being adaptfrom said lifting arms and lowering themon to another part of the conveying mechanism.

6., In a conveying apparatus, the combination comprisingx longitudinal conveying mechanism, pivoted arms for lifting articles from one part of the conveying mechanism, other pivoted arms co-acting with the lifting arms for taking the articles from said lifting arms and lowering them on to another part of the conveying mechanism, the arms and the conveying mechanism being geared together to operate the arms intermittently while the longitudinal conveying mechanism operates continuously.

7. Ina conveying apparatus, thecombination comprising longitudinal conveying mechanism, arms pivoted transversely of the conveying mechanism for lifting articles from one part of the conveying mechanism,

and other pivoted arms co-acting with the lifting arms for taking the articles from said lifting arms and lowering them on to another part of the conveying mechanism, the arms and the conveying mechanism being geared together to operate the arms intermittentlywhile the longitudinal conveying mechamsm operates continuously, said arms being adapted to cause the transfer of the articles from the lifting to the lowering arms at the point above the conveying mechanism where the arcs of travel of the arms intersect.

8. In a conveying apparatus, the combination comprising longitudinal conveying mechanism, pivoted arms for lifting articles from one partof the conveying mechanism, other pivoted arms co-acting w ith the lifting arms for taking the articles from said lift ing arms and lowering them on to another part of the conveying mechanism, the arms and the conveying mechanism being geared together to operate the arms intermittently while the longitudinal conveying mechanism operates continuously, the radius of the lowering arms being greater than that'of the lifting arms to insure the transfer of the articles.

9. In a conveying apparatus, the combination comprising longitudinal conveying mechanism, pivoted arms for lifting articles from one part of the conveying mechanism, other pivoted arms co-acting with the lift ing arms for taking the articles from said lifting arms at the point of maximum elevation and lowering them on to another part of the conveying mechanism, a vertically movable cross-head connected to the arms and a crank rotated continuously by the horizontal conveying mechanism and engaging periodically with the cross-head to simultaneously lift the arms and lower them.

10. In a conveying apparatus, the combination comprising longitudinal conveying mechanism, pivoted arms for lifting articles from one part of the conveying mechanism, other pivoted arms co-acting with the lifting arms for taking the articles from said lifting arms and lowering them on to another part of the conveying mechanism, a vertical movable crosshead connected to the arms and a crank rotated continuously by the horizontal conveying mechanism and engaging periodically with the cross head to simultaneously lift the arms and lower them, the radius of the lowering arms being greater than the radius of the lifting arms to effect the transfer of the articles from the lifting to the lowering arms when the said arms reach their highest position.

11. In-conveying apparatus, the combina' tion comprising two separate longitudinal conveyers, longitudinal rails, supports adapted to ride on said rails and be propelled thereon by the conveyors, pivotal lifting arms adapted to engage with their free ends under the supports and lift them from one conveyer to a position midway the conveyors, pivotal lowering arms adapted to engage with their free ends under the supports at the midway position and lower them onto the other conveyor.

12. In a conveying apparatus, the combination conlprising two longitudinal conveyers, means comprising pivoted arms for lifting articles from one of the conveyers, and means comprising pivoted arms for taking the articles from said lifting means and depositing them on the other conveyer, the pivots of said arms being located on each side of the middle line between the conveyors so as to permit the close approach of the conveyers without limiting the height of the lift.

13. In a conveying mechanism, the combination comprising lifting and lowering arms journalled on substantially parallel horizontal axes, the axis of the lifting arms being spaced from that of the lowering arms so that their outer ends will describe arcs intersecting above the axes of the arms, the said arms having at their outer ends means for holding objects, and means for moving said arms upward until their object-holding means come together, said arms being adapted to cause objects to pass from the lifting arms to the lowering arms.

WESLEY F. HALL. 

